Windhoek
The Namibian Police chief, Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga, will square off with China’s vice-minister of public security, Meng Hongweni, for the presidency of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
The elections will take place at Interpol’s 85th general assembly to be held in early November in Indonesia.
Ndeitunga currently serves as the vice-president for Africa on Interpol’s executive committee, a position he was elected to in 2014 by an overwhelming majority, while Meng heads the Interpol National Central Bureau of China.
Recently, the Namibian Cabinet authorized the Ministry of Safety and Security to intensify Ndeitunga’s campaign to garner enough support for his bid to replace current Interpol president Mireille Ballestrazzi, from France.
Interpol enables police in 190-member countries to work together to fight international crime by providing a range of policing expertise and capabilities through supporting three main crime programmes: counter-terrorism, cybercrime, and organized and emerging crime.
“The post of the president will be become vacant on November 10, now I am vying for the presidency,” Ndeitunga told New Era.
Ndeitunga explained that the position of Interpol president is largely ceremonial and involves the chairing of the general assembly and executive committee meetings. In his motivation letter Ndeitunga said that since his election in 2014 he has sought to build policing capacity in the African region and beyond. This he did by strengthening ties between Interpol and regional police cooperatives, international organisations and private institutions, all to champion the cause of global security, he added.
“Subsequent to my election, a number of key strategic issues were debated and consequent decisions were implemented to the executive committee’s satisfaction.”
He explained that among those are the establishment of a sound framework to secure funding and management of externally-funded projects.
“I have also been chairing the consulting and supervisory sub-committee, which advises and assists the executive committee on the management of the extra-budgetary resources of the organisation.”
He said that during his tenure, a lot of milestones were achieved, including the inauguration of the Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (Sarpcco) Centre of Excellence in Zimbabwe, the launch of the West African Police Information System (Wapis) programme in Ghana and establishment of the African Mechanism for Police Cooperation (Afripol).
“My candidacy is underpinned by the Namibian aspiration for the prevention of transnational organised crimes through enhanced cooperation and innovation among member countries … leading to a deepening exchange of intelligence and information,” motivated Ndeitunga.
“If elected as president of Interpol, I shall endeavour to stimulate more cross-linkages between Interpol and all regions of the world, and contribute to the creation of the sharing of best polices.”
He said it was for that reason that he had addressed an Asian regional conference on rhino and elephant poaching in Africa.
According to him, Interpol is well poised to play a decisive role in facilitating global collaboration in the fight against crime and terrorism.
“We have reached a stage where the organisation needs to progress beyond just providing 24/7 support to member countries.”
On the benefits and meaning to Namibia should he be elected to the presidency, Ndeitunga said: “It will be a honour and privilege for Namibia as a country and for the Namibian people.”
“Just imagine that there are big countries in this world but some of them never had the presidency of Interpol! Now, a small country like Namibia with a small population to produce an Interpol president is an honour.”
Ndeitunga, who was born in 1962, dismissed talks that he was planning on going into retirement from the police after being at its helm for the past 11 years.
“That is devoid of any truth. I still have some years to come. The term of the Interpol president is four years …”
Meng has close to 40 years experience in criminal justice and policing, having overseen affairs related to legal institutions, narcotics control, counter-terrorism, border control, immigration and international cooperation.
He has served in important positions in the ministry of public security, including director-general of the patrol police division, deputy general and the chief of the cultural protection department, traffic control department and an assistant minister and as well as vice.